Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Raymond’s Game Day Gal Let Go by Rays

I have learned from a very reliable source that Kelly Frank, who has been with the Tampa Bay Rays in the capacity of Raymond, or Raymond D Ray has been let go by the Rays after 5 years with the club.

Frank has been instrumental in the last few years in making the fuzzy mascot, Raymond more fan friendly and less aggressive in nature. Frank has been working in the Rays office for several years doing some marketing planning, repairing her costume and doing all the daily operations of running the local mascot icon.

Rays fans have witnessed Frank’s inventive side in the costume and clothing options of Raymond over the last few years. Frank was the head designer and creative sources of such classics as the Super Raymond, the Spidy-Ray costume and the special game day attire or outer wear that Raymond has worn over the years.

Frank said she was praised as recently as three weeks ago, when her supervisors told her she out-enthused the Philadelphia Phillies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, during the World Series. But on Monday, she was told she would no longer be Raymond.

Frank has also been responsible for the number of Youtube videos using Raymond as a key figure. It was an inventive and highly popular series of videos using mascots from throughtout the major sports of the United States. I particularly love the one with Wally the Green Monster of the Boston Red Sox with the background music, ” Why Can’t We Be Friends.” It was an instant classic.

“Peanut Butter Jelly Time” was also a very popular video featuring the oversized Banana and a Blow-up Gorilla duirng the 7th inning stretches at Rays games. Over the years, Raymond’s birthday party was another event that attracted other team’s mascots from all over the country to the Trop. to celebrate with the highly popular mascot.

Please go to www.Youtube.com and check out some of the original videos featuring the Rays versatile mascot.

This year’s promotion entitled, “Mascot Mania” attracted team mascots from as far as San Francisco,Arlington Texas, Denver and Toronto to the Trop to celebrate with Raymond. Frequent visitors throughout the year have been the mascots of the Orioles, Blue Jays and the Florida Panthers.

It is a great loss to lose a valuable member of the Rays organization. If you feel this dismissal is not in the best interest of the ballclub, you can email Matt Silverman, the Rays President at msilverman@raysbaseball.com , or you can place a call to the organization at (727) 825-3137.

Or maybe you might want to take it all the way to the top of the organization and send an email to the primary owner, Stuart Sternberg. He can be reached at: ssternberg@raysbaseball.com.

I am trying to get an interview with Frank, after the situation has died down and things sort themselves out on both sides. The popular Raymond webpage on Myspace.com will be removed in a few days because of the situation. Frank was the author of the page and submitted the great Youtube videos and blog postings on the page. I am not sure if the Raymond subscribtion page will still be accessible on www.Youtube.com after this week.

The Rays have lost a true icon to the image of the team in this dismissal. Frank was the third person to don the Raymond costume. Frank said she will continue her side business making mascots for professional sports teams, including the University of Florida Gators and the Denver Nuggets.

I wish Kelly Frank a bright and energetic future, and hope to see her again in the role of support and promotion of a mascot in the MLB or beyond. Break a leg Kelly.

2 Comments

Yes, they are firing the second straight mascot without reasons floating over the Internet or in public.

I did not want to put the two together for the sake of any kids reading this in case they believe in Raymond as a symbol and not as a perosn playing a mascot.
It is a delicate balance that I wanted to try and save, but the local paper pretty much trashed that idea.

So tomorrow I will rehash it to be totally one with the mascot and Kelly Frank.
Sorry, just did not want the kids to see the man behind the curtain.

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.